Haunted Ever After

by Juliet Madison

  She jumped onto the bed and bounced, even though the mattress didn’t move much. Her body partially weightless, she jumped and leapt for joy. ‘Wheee!’ she exclaimed, then leapt onto the nearby chaise longue and rolled over it. A few shards of remaining glass had jumped off the bed with her, and I picked them up and put them in the bin.

  As she continued twirling and rolling around the room, Ty glanced at his watch then stepped in front of me. ‘Still about half an hour left of our room booking. Maybe we should make the most of it.’

  Huh? Was he suggesting… ‘Why, what did you have in mind, a private striptease or something?’ I joked.

  His expression remained straight, and he started unbuttoning his shirt, revealing those incredibly amazing superhuman pecs.

  ‘Ty! Um, I don’t think…’

  He laughed. ‘Relax. I’m joking, sunshine!’

  I opened my mouth in relief. Sort of. I wouldn’t have minded seeing him in that way again, but now was neither the time nor the place. ‘Oh, right. Sorry!’ Heat crawled across my face.

  ‘You two are hilarious!’ said Nancy. ‘Just get a room already, will you?’

  I glared at her.

  ‘Oh wait! You already did! Haha!’ She went into hysterics, and her shrill laugh gave me a happy feeling instead of an annoyed one for the first time this weekend.

  * * *

  ‘That was quick,’ said the young guy with the plastic hair when we went to pay at the reception desk. ‘Did you enjoy your brief stay?’

  ‘Definitely,’ Ty replied. ‘Did what we came here to do.’

  ‘Yep, mission complete.’ I looked at Ty. ‘Lucky you made use of your…long thing,’ I added, and at the look of surprise on the receptionists’ faces I realised I should have thought before speaking.

  Plastic Hair Guy cleared his throat and pushed a piece of paper across the desk. ‘Okay, well then, if you’ll just sign here and make payment, that would be great.’

  I went to sign but Ty’s hand covered the paper. ‘I’ve got this,’ he said, and in a jiffy he’d signed his name and handed over his credit card. ‘And, ah, sorry, but there were a few slight…breakages.’

  ‘Breakages? What specifically?’

  Ty scratched his head. ‘Ah, the bedside lamp, a potted plant, and um, the ceiling light shade.’

  The receptionist’s eyed bulged. ‘How did…never mind, not a problem, sir.’ He cleared his throat again. ‘You understand we’ll have to bill you for the damages once replacement costs have been evaluated?’

  ‘Yes, that’s fine.’

  ‘Good. And I hope your stay with us was worthwhile, sir.’

  ‘Oh yes, very worthwhile.’ Ty slid his arm around my back in a suggestive way and winked.

  Ty! I wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. How much more blushing could my cheeks handle this weekend before they spontaneously combusted?

  The guy printed out a receipt and handed it to Ty, and we turned away from the desk.

  ‘Oh, one more thing,’ Ty said, turning back to Plastic Hair Guy and speaking loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. ‘The springs in the bed were a bit…squeaky. Hope we didn’t disturb the guests below. You might want to get that looked at. Cheerio!’ He waved and we turned away again. I clenched my mouth tight and gave him a good, hard whack on the arm.

  CHAPTER 22

  After the elation of finding Nancy’s ring, we were now hesitant about our next task: convincing Chris his wife was here in spirit, and that her death was an accident.

  Despite our reluctance to repeat our disastrous attempt from yesterday, we both agreed it was worth a second shot now that we had the ring. Worst case scenario — he throws us out again, but at least the ring would be returned to him, and I could still try the letter writing option and give him time to warm to the idea.

  Ty made some joke about comparing our trek to that in Lord of the Rings, and we made our way out of the city and back towards the pretty country town of Wattle Falls.

  Nancy sat quietly in the back seat, her eyes closed, humming a song I didn’t recognise. She seemed caught in some sort of transitionary state between life and the afterlife. Maybe she was preparing herself, or distracting herself, from the likelihood of more disbelief from Chris.

  Traffic was fairly heavy, but we made progress gradually. My mind became restless. ‘What’s your favourite colour?’ I asked Ty.

  ‘Cobalt. Why?’

  ‘Just making conversation to pass the time. Cobalt? Not blue, or green, or red, but cobalt?’

  ‘Colours vary, it’s good to be specific.’

  ‘I guess. Then why aren’t you wearing cobalt? And why is your car black?’

  ‘I didn’t say it was my favourite colour to wear or anything, it’s just my favourite colour to look at, generally.’

  ‘Fair enough. That makes sense.’

  ‘What’s yours? Wait…light purple?’

  ‘Mauve. How did you know?’

  ‘You were wearing it that night you got stuck in the toilet. Just a guess.’

  And I thought the only thing he’d noticed was the fact that I’d gotten stuck in the toilet.

  ‘Favourite TV show?’ he asked.

  I was having déjà vu. It reminded me of the twenty questions Nancy, or Red back then, had fired at me during dinner at the guest house when Ty was with us. As long as he didn’t ask me my favourite sexual position like Nancy did, I’d be fine.

  ‘Doctor Who, or Midsomer Murders.’

  He smiled. Was he silently making fun of my entertainment choices?

  ‘Oh, and Friends,’ I added, to seem reasonably normal and hip, and to honour last Saturday night’s laughter prescription. ‘You?’

  ‘Friends, too, of course, and Seinfeld. And Game of Thrones.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t think I could watch that. Looks too explicit and gory.’

  ‘Exactly! I love it. Try it, I guarantee you’ll be hooked.’

  ‘Hmm.’ I wasn’t convinced.

  ‘Okay, next question: If you could go back in time, when would you go?’

  ‘The fifties. They seemed cute and fun. You?’

  ‘Hmm, maybe the Palaeolithic period? You know, grow a beard and long hair, wear nothing but a loincloth, and hunt for food. Perfect.’

  ‘Caveman, huh? Well, you’ve got the loincloth bit all sorted, in a modern sort of way.’

  ‘True. Maybe I’ll have to mix up my performances a little. Instead of Doctor Ty, I could be Caveman Ty.’

  An image of him swinging shirtless from tree to tree flashed through my mind. ‘Or Tarzan’s naughty cousin.’

  ‘Good idea. Tyzan, perhaps?’

  I chuckled.

  ‘How about we play I Spy next instead of Twenty Questions? It’s a perfect game for road trips, Cody loves playing it.’

  Being around Ty was never boring. And I appreciated the way he was taking my mind off the inevitable challenge of going back to Chris’ house.

  ‘I’ll start,’ he said. ‘I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…I.’

  ‘Umm… Incredibly infuriating guy indifferent to public displays of partial nudity?’ I joked.

  ‘Nope! And yes, sort of.’

  ‘Impossibly irritating imbecilic Neanderthal?’

  A laugh shot from his mouth. ‘I didn’t know you had such a witty way with words, Sexy Sally.’

  ‘I’m full of surprises this long weekend.’ I glanced towards the back seat and Nancy was still humming with her eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to our conversation. Or, perhaps, giving us a chance to get to know each other.

  ‘So, any idea?’ he asked.

  ‘Of what?’

  ‘Who’s the imbecile now? Something starting with I of course!’

  ‘Oops! Got distracted!’ Caveman Ty. Loincloth. Pecs. Goodness, Sally! Hold your hormones! ‘Okay, what about: incredibly irresistible intelligent nurse?’ I fluttered my eyelashes. What was I doing?

  ‘How’d you guess?’ He took his eyes off the road and
locked onto my gaze for a moment. ‘Nice one. And true. But in this case, it was an ice skating rink. Didn’t you see it way back there?’

  ‘No, I didn’t. Not fair!’

  ‘You’ll have to pay more attention from now on, nursey.’

  ‘Your turn,’ I said. ‘I spy with my little eye, something beginning with D.’

  Ty looked around, then said, ‘Devastatingly handsome doctor-to-be?’

  ‘Oh, you are just too self-confident, mister! Try again.’

  ‘Dynamite dancer and driver of damsels in distress?’

  I laughed. ‘I am not a damsel and I’m not in distress.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll be serious. Dog?’

  ‘There’s no dog anywhere! Try again.’

  ‘Duck?’

  I shook my head.

  ‘Deer? No wait, dolphin?’

  ‘Stop it, you! We’re not at a farm or an aquarium. Though I think you belong in one.’

  He slapped my thigh gently. ‘Hey, watch it, sunshine.’

  I grinned. ‘Give up yet?’

  ‘Nope. I never give up on anything. Daisies? Doll’s house? Donuts? Mmm, now I’m hungry.’ He licked his lips.

  ‘Drive-through restaurant!’ I blurted.

  ‘Hey, I was on a roll there!’

  ‘Yeah, rolling in a completely different direction.’

  ‘Okay, okay, I spy with my little eye, something beginning with C,’ he said.

  I glanced around and knew immediately what it was. ‘Easy. Church.’

  ‘Oh c’mon! You’re no fun, smartypants.’

  ‘You picked an easy one.’ I shrugged. Then I remembered the church I was supposed to get married in on the weekend. The tall pointed roof, the stained glass windows, walking down the aisle…

  ‘Sally? I said your turn,’ he prompted.

  ‘Oh. Sorry, I was just…’ My voice turned quiet.

  Ty glanced towards me twice, still making sure to keep focused on the road. ‘Was it the church? Did it make you…think of stuff?’

  I flicked my hand. ‘It’s nothing. Silly, really. So I was supposed to get married this Saturday, no big deal anymore. The guy’s a cheat and it’s lucky I found out before the wedding.’

  Ty absorbed my words for a moment. ‘But still. There’s nothing wrong with being sad about it. Things are bound to pop up when you least expect it; memories, places, names…sometimes we don’t know how we feel until something around us triggers something.’

  ‘That is true.’

  We were silent for a minute, until Ty said, ‘Sally, the other night…’

  ‘It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about that.’

  ‘But I want to.’ He brushed his hand against mine briefly, and returned it to the steering wheel. ‘I know the timing was way off. I know the timing now, is still way off. And I understand you need to spend some time alone to sort through what’s happened and move on.’ He took a deep breath. ‘So I won’t call you, after this weekend. I want to, but I won’t. I’ll be here to help with Chris again if today doesn’t work out, absolutely, but I don’t want to get in the way of whatever you need to do to move on from your broken engagement. If you want to call me, or meet up again, or give things a go, I’ll be ready. But only when you are.’

  I nodded, taking in the meaning of his words. He liked me. He was interested. He wanted to see how things could work out between us. When I was ready. Part of me wanted to grab him and say ‘I’m ready now’, but I knew the truth. I wasn’t ready. Not yet. No matter how attracted to him I was or how good I felt around him, it wasn’t right just yet. I needed to re-establish my own life first, get over the crap that all this had become, and start fresh. ‘Thanks. That sounds like the best way to go,’ I said.

  ‘Yep, probably for the best.’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘I hope I didn’t cause any confusion, or make things more complicated that night.’

  ‘You didn’t, not at all. If anything you made me see more clearly what a bastard Greg was.’ A small smile crept up into one corner of my mouth. ‘And also, what an incredibly inferior and so-so kisser he was.’

  A smile grew on Ty’s face. ‘I’m flattered.’

  And now I was embarrassed. This weekend had taught me to speak up, to get things out in the open, to not waste any minute of my life.

  ‘And yes, it was rather…nice,’ he added.

  ‘Nice. Yes, it was.’ I smiled. ‘And a little bit exciting.’

  ‘A lot exciting,’ he replied. ‘Quite intense, actually.’

  ‘You’re right. It was intense.’

  ‘And mesmerising.’

  ‘Electrifying.’

  Our words were spiced with passionate memories of Saturday night, and my tongue tingled. My chest rose and fell quickly, and I could faintly hear him breathing faster.

  We slowed to a stop at a red light and Ty put the handbrake on and turned to face me. His eyes glowed with beauty, depth, and desire.

  I opened my mouth and before I could stop myself I said, ‘Maybe we could have just one last — ’

  ‘Hell yeah,’ he cut me off, grabbing the sides of my face and pulling my lips to his.

  Oh my sweet God in heaven… Warmth, softness, pressure; a symphony of sensations exhilarated my senses as our mouths became entwined. He ran his hands through my hair so urgently my ponytail came loose, and I moved my hands down the back of his neck, around the front of his shoulders, and over his chest.

  Horns tooted and we broke away from each other, gasping for breath. At first I thought people were applauding our passionate kiss, but they were only informing us that the red light had turned green and could we please, according to one driver, ‘get a move on, you bloody idiots’.

  We laughed, our mouths still close, enjoying one last kiss before Ty released the handbrake and moved forward.

  I redid my ponytail. ‘I think I’ll start the whole ‘giving myself time’ thing tomorrow,’ I said. Today was different. Today was for us. And for Nancy. Tomorrow my challenging reality would rise with me in the morning. I glanced back at Nancy in the seat, her eyes still closed, still humming. Just before I turned back to the front, she opened her eyes slightly and smiled, giving me a thumbs-up sign.

  I tried to erase my big goofy smile, but it wouldn’t budge. And anyway, why would I want it to?

  As we drove through Barron Springs and neared Wattle Falls, Nancy straightened up in the back seat, her eyes wide. She seemed to be looking out for something.

  ‘What is it, Nancy?’ I asked.

  ‘I’m getting a strong feeling. Umm…’ she turned this way and that, looking about in all directions. Then she closed her eyes and focused intently, before snapping them open. ‘Quick, turn right up here!’ She pointed to the street up ahead. ‘It’s Chris. He’s not at home. He’s at the cemetery. At my grave.’

  CHAPTER 23

  Ty chucked a right and followed Nancy’s directions to the cemetery. He drove through the iron gates and down a driveway lined with small shrubs, which looked newly planted. We parked and got out of the car. The cemetery was deserted, apart from a tall figure in the distance. We walked to Nancy’s grave, where Chris stood holding his young daughter. He turned at the sound of our footsteps.

  He rolled his eyes and sighed. ‘Oh, great. You two again.’

  ‘Three, actually,’ I said.

  ‘Look, I’m having a private moment with my daughter at her mother’s grave, so if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate being left alone.’

  I glanced at the headstone:

  Nancy Silverton.

  We’ll never forget you.

  We stayed put. Chris faced us again. ‘Fair enough, then we’ll go.’ He turned away to walk off.

  ‘Wait!’ I called. ‘I have your wife’s wedding ring.’ I quickly opened my bag and took out the zip-lock plastic bag, then removed the ring. ‘Here. Here it is!’ I held it up to the low afternoon sun creeping through the surrounding trees.

  He walked closer, brows furrowed. Curiosity
enticed him forward. ‘That could be any old ring. How do you know it’s hers?’

  ‘We got it from The Renshaw. Room 814. She showed us where she dropped it. It was still there, outside the balcony!’

  ‘Give me a look at that.’ He yanked it from my hand, turning the ring around and holding it up to read the inscription. ‘Oh my God. It’s hers. How did, where did…’

  ‘I already told you.’

  ‘But — ’

  ‘She’s telling the truth, mate,’ Ty said. ‘We drove to the city today to get it and bring it back for you. Thought you might want it.’

  Chris looked confused. ‘So you found it, and I’m thankful, but do you really expect me to believe that my wife’s spirit is here?’

  ‘Expect, no. Hope, yes.’ I offered a smile. ‘She’s still here. She can’t go until you know and believe the truth.’ I glanced at Nancy, whose face held grief and fatigue, but at the same time joy at being able to see her family.

  ‘So you’re telling me you’re some kind of psychic medium, is that it?’

  ‘No. I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before. Nancy showed up a week ago at my house, then followed me to Barron Springs where I was having a weekend away. She was able to show me things in my life I’d been blind to. Made me realise a mistake I was about to make. I owe her everything.’

  ‘And you, what was your name again?’ He looked at Ty.

  ‘Tyler. Call me Ty.’

  ‘Ty, you said you see her too?’

  ‘Yes. And like you, I was disbelieving at first. But pretty soon I realised the truth. She’s here. She wants you to know what really happened to her.’

  Ruby smiled and giggled in his arms, seemingly unaware of the drama unfolding.

  ‘Look, thanks for finding the ring. But I think we’ll head home now.’ He turned away again.

  Nancy raced after him. ‘Chris! Remember how you used to kiss the heart-shaped birthmark on my lower back? I miss that! I miss you!’

  ‘Her birthmark!’ I exclaimed. ‘Nancy had a birthmark on her lower back. In the shape of a heart.’ Chris turned around, his mouth hanging open, though his eyes still held uncertainty. ‘She loved how you used to kiss it. She misses that.’